20 Massages in Two Months - Massage #2 (continued)

Lobby and waterfall at Center for Well-Being in Monore, WA

Karen Joy is not only an experienced massage therapist she is also Reiki practitioner. Between now and last Tuesday my arm has become numb again.  To have this numbness recur is not unusual but I am determined to find some new tools to tame this old challenge.  I ask Karen for a shot of Reiki to my right shoulder to see if this will loosen things up.

 

(To me Reiki is a fascinating and versatile healing tool. In some parts of the East, Reiki is so well developed you can see Reiki practitioners for treatments customized to specific ailments! For those not familiar with Reiki  it is a type laying on of hands but don't let Reiki’s typically gentle nature fool you – it is a powerful healing tool that leaves most feeling relaxed, well- cared for, and healed. Even better, Reiki not only causes a feeling of healing, it actually brings healing!).

As a healer myself, I know that emotional patterns underlie physical ailments. I have wanted to blame this numbness – which first occurred during law school as I studied for final exams one year – on writing alone but the truth is I write more with my left hand which I use to do the bulk of longhand writing. The burden of any typing is shared equally between right and left. Yet, I do not experience numbness in my left arm. I am beginning to see that while the soreness in my arms probably comes from muscle use the numbness it is likely caused by emotions and thoughts which influence how emotional and mental energy is processed on the right side of my body.

Karen seems to have similar suspicions. “Are you nurturing yourself enough?” is her first question. The question rankles and not because she is wrong but because I keep hearing this same question from a variety of sources. I’ve tried riding my bike in the rain, eating delicious food, taking hot salt baths, laughing with friends, spending time with family, seeing movies, massage, painting, dancing, energy healing, playing with kids. My discomfort is a cryptic code whose meaning I have yet to decipher.  In which self-nurturing technique will I find the magic button?  This is my question.

“I’m trying,” I respond.